Love by Definition
by Pa-Lee
Summary: Haruno Sakura was in her senior year and, in the middle of the school year, was transferred to Konoha High School’s top class. She immediately becomes friends with the ‘elite’ who, like her, were brought up in the ways of the forgotten past.
1. Prologue

Love by Definition

By Paris Lee

* * *

Hello everyone! This is my very first Naruto FanFiction. This has a ShikaSaku pairing and possible Neji-TenTen, Sasuke-Hina, and Naruto-Ino pairing. You may be wondering about the two latter pairings. Well, I find them more interesting. To each his own, right? So please, read and review. Thanks! Oh, and NO FLAMES please!

I do not own Naruto.

* * *

"A new student?" Yamanaka Ino asked incredulously as she stylishly flipped her long platinum-blonde hair over her shoulder. "In OUR class?"

It was not because a transferee student was coming over during the last quarter of the school year that astonished her. It was more of the fact that the he or she was being assigned to their class.

Hyuga Hinata gave her friend a confirmatory nod and remained silent throughout the rest of the walk towards the school as she saw Ino preoccupied with her musings.

She really couldn't blame her. She was probably thinking about their soon to be classmate. She could only suppose that the new student really was exceptional if he or she was being assigned to their class. Their class, after all, consisted of the cream of the crop.

She then blushed at her contemplation, thinking how arrogant it was of her to think of such things. She was, in spite of everything, still slightly nonplussed that she was included in such a class.

Both of them were so deep in their thoughts that it took a moment for them to realize that someone was shouting a greeting at them accompanied by a very vigorous wave.

Ino's eyebrows twitched in annoyance as she snapped out of her thoughts. _'Does he always have to be so loud?'_ She thought with resignation, already aware of the answer.

Hinata smiled at her companion's reaction and waved back, though much less enthusiastic, at Uzumaki Naruto and saw that their other friends were already their as well.

It had been their routine, as some may call it, since their freshmen year to wait for each other at the school gate and walk together to their classroom.

It was much safer.

Their clique was well known through-out the school for their attractiveness, intelligence, and skilfulness. They were walking magnets for both aggressive and passive admirers and for possible obsessive psycho-stalkers as well.

As they neared their friends, Hinata quickly appraised them.

She saw that next to a very effervescent Naruto was her cousin, Hyuga Neji involved in what seemed to be a very deep conversation with their childhood friend TenTen. Not too far from them was Akimichi Chouji with a bag of chips in hand and beside him was a very bored Nara Shikamaru leaning against the wall with his hands shoved in his pockets. Somewhat detached from the group was Uchicha Sasuke who was in deep meditation under a tree.

She then realized that they were the last to arrive.

"Ah…I – I'm sorry." She stammered out as she repetitively bowed in apology. "W-we took so long a-and I'm sorry for the in-inconvenience."

"Hinata, we didn't take _that _long." Ino sighed as she watched her friend easily get flustered.

"Hinata, it's alright." Neji patiently reassured her. "Let's get to class."

Hinata followed obediently and started walking beside his cousin with Ino next to her and the rest of their friends behind them.

"So, does anyone know anything about the new student?" Ino asked no one in particular.

* * *

She had just stepped out from the shower and glanced at the bathroom clock.

7:15

'_Great. Just great' _She thought as she hurriedly started drying herself off._ 'It's my first day in a new school and I'm going to be late.'_

* * *

"Did you have a nice sleep, Miss?"

She gave her driver a wilting look. She had just arrived at Konoha City around three that early Monday morning and she barely had a decent sleep. She was still feeling a lot of jet lag and, to top it all off, she had a throbbing headache and a mild sore throat, which she presumed to be signs of an impending cough-and-cold type of illness.

She looked at her Konoha High School form once more. She was assigned to Class 4–1 and her first class was at 8 o'clock but she still had to go over a few things with the school principal at 7:30. She looked at her wrist watch.

7:28

* * *

"You're late." Tsunade flatly pointed out as she shifted her gaze from the wall clock in her office to the young lady in front of her. It was already 7:45.

"Yes, Ma'am, I know and I'm –"

"It's Miss."

"I'm…Excuse me?" She asked as she gave the older woman in front of her a puzzled look.

"You are to address me as Miss Tsunade or Miss Principal. I don't think Ma'am would suit me." She remarked matter-of-factly and added in her defense, "I don't look like a Ma'am. I look more like a Miss."

Sakura very slightly sweat-dropped at this but went along just as well. In all fairness, Miss Tsunade, with her pale-blonde locks and firm body – which she could not help but notice, was very well endowed –, did not look _that_ old. "If that is what you wish, Miss Principal."

"Yes, it is." She confirmed. "Now, let's get on with your orientation."

"Yes, Miss Principal."

"Are you alright? You look a bit flushed. Are you coming down with something?"

"Yes, but I'm trying to counteract it." Seeing the inquiring look of the older woman, she promptly explained. "I've already taken in a no-drowse analgesic together with an antiseptic and anaesthetic tablet. I have also commenced my water therapy."

"Impressive."

* * *

It was already 8:30 and neither their teacher nor the new student was anywhere to be seen.

There were several hushed buzzes of speculations as to why their teacher or their new classmate has still not arrived but the room remained moderately quiet except for Naruto who found it necessary to share his ludicrous opinion in a vociferous manner.

"Maybe there really isn't a new student." He said loudly while adapting a detective-on-a-case stance. Seeing most of his classmates turning to look at him only fuelled his hyper-active imagination and continued, "Maybe it was all just a big deception fabricated by the _Madame_ Principal to unsettle us."

Ino failed to suppress a groan as she sunk lower on her chair, trying to hide her face with her hand. Clearly mortified, she tugged on the sleeves of the yellow-haired boy – forcefully urging him to take his seat.

"Wow. Did you figure that all by yourself?" Sasuke asked, each word dripping with thick sarcasm. He was looking out the window with his arms crossed over his chest and his face expressionless.

"Of course!" Came Naruto's answer – swift and proud –, oblivious to the suppressed snickering of some of his classmates as he held his head up high and put up his trademark thumbs up sign.

Hinata only smiled at what she thought was Naruto being good natured, Neji and Sasuke simultaneously shook their head in resignation, Ino desperately tried to make Naruto take his seat, TenTen found the whole thing amusing and genially teased Ino being Naruto's keeper, and Chouji…well, Chouji didn't really care as he was busy munching on his extra bag of potato chips. All the waiting made him hungry.

Naruto was about to say something else when their teacher suddenly entered the room in haste and gently closed the door behind him. So, he opted to take a seat as an alternative, much to the relief of Ino.

"Good morning." Hatake Kakashi addressed the class and gestured for them to remain seated. He was still trying to catch his breath but decided to get on with it. "First of all, I'm sorry for being late. I meant to come sooner but I was instructed to orient your new classmate with a few things. It was a last minute thing so I hope you understand."

Taking a deep breath, he looked at his students for any sign of understanding but, instead, found most of them staring at the closed door while whispering about the student on the other side of it. He sighed in defeat as he walked towards the door.

'_Nothing is more interesting right now except for the new student.' _He thought as he opened the door and motioned for the transferee to enter the room. As soon as the new student entered the room, he immediately wished he had a camera.

His students were all looking at a very attractive girl of medium stature with a beautiful, long, thick, and silky-shiny pink mane, which was in stark contrast with her unbelievably green eyes. She had flesh and curvature on all the right places.

"Hello everyone and good morning. My name is Haruno Sakura. I will be your new classmate. It's nice to meet all of you." She articulated with poise and grace which she hoped won't falter because she was starting to feel the effect the medicines she had taken.

She had realized just a while ago, when she was starting to yawn very so often, that she had, in fact, taken in the wrong drug. Before leaving the house early that morning, she was in such a state of rush that instead of taking in the no-drowse analgesic, she had taken in the opposite. And, now, she was progressively falling prey to the drug's consequences.

No sooner had she finished introducing herself when several hands started shooting up. She started to feel her head throbbing as she heard a few cat calls and a couple of phone number-asking from the boys and several adulations as well.

"Okay, that's enough." Kakashi, who was preoccupied reading an intriguing book throughout Sakura's introduction, decided to save her from further inconvenience and snapped his book shut. "Miss Haruno, please take your seat over..."

A lot of his students immediately suggested and offered their seats, or the ones beside them, as he searched the room for a possible seating arrangement.

"Teacher Kakashi?"

The red-eyed instructor with grey hair turned to see the owner of the voice, which seemed to echo throughout the classroom, rendering the rest of the class silent. This was a common occurrence whenever one of the 'elite' spoke.

By 'elite', he was of course referring to Hyuga Hinata – observant, very much reserved, exceptionally kind and gentle, and was brought up in the traditional arts and culture of Japan; Hyuga Neji – cousin of Hinata, imperturbable, and extremely perceptive; Yamanaka Ino – bossy, competitive, and excels in analyzing the inner workings of the mind; Uzumaki Naruto – loud, hyperactive, somewhat clumsy, and frequently gullible; Uchicha Sasuke – aloof and arrogant, childhood friend of Naruto; Nara Shikamaru – lazy but responsible, has the uncanny ability to persuade people into doing something, and childhood friend of Ino; Akimichi Chouji – food enthusiast, loyal, and childhood friend of Ino and Shikamaru; and TenTen – proficient in sports requiring throwing skills and childhood friend of Neji and Hinata.

While they had their differences, they were also analogous in various aspects. They were all intellectually gifted – Shikamaru's thinking being the sharpest. All of them were also trained and skilled in the art of fighting with Naruto being the most skilful seconded by his childhood friend, Sasuke. Belonging to wealthy and prominent lineage gave rise to the necessity for them to become skilled at the art of self-preservation. While sentinels were useful and handy, they were also risky and unreliable.

"What is it, Ino?" He asked his student with platinum-blonde tresses who was already on her feet and waiting for his acknowledgement.

"Teacher, Miss Haruno may sit with us." Ino proposed with an air of conclusiveness as she gave the new student one of her rare smiles.

Sakura, feeling worse by the minute and busy trying to keep her composure in tact, was suddenly pulled back to reality when she heard her name amidst the stillness in the room. It was then she noticed one of the girls, seated at the back row of the classroom, smiling at her and waving for her to come over. It was when she looked in her direction that she became aware of the other students seated at the back.

Two of the three boys looked positively bored while the other one looked somewhat attentive while chewing onto something. The girls were smiling and looked excited about the idea of having her with them at the back. And the way the rest of the students reacted to them made it clear that these people were popular.

She mentally sighed as she heard their teacher agree with the suggestion and instruct her to proceed to her new seat. She had just sat down when their teacher spoke as though he just remembered something.

"Chouji, where is Shikamaru?"

"Probably in a meeting." He answered. His words careful and measured.

Kakashi sighed. _'Meeting? Yeah Right.' _He thought wearily.

Tiredly passing his hand over his nape, he let out a long-drawn breath. "Please tell him, _after he comes back from the meeting of course_, to give Miss Haruno a detailed tour of the school and give our new student all the assistance she needs to help her adjust."

Seeing Shikamaru's best friend nod, he thought about getting on with his lecture but decided against it when he saw the time. They only had fifteen minutes left. Letting out another long-drawn breath, he gave them the remaining minutes as free time and left the room with his intriguing book in hand.

"Here, Miss Haruno." Ino said as she handed her a notebook. "These are my notes on Teacher Kakashi's subject. It's complete and I've written down the references as well."

"Oh, thank you. But, please, just call me Sakura." Sakura replied as she accepted the notebook with mild surprise. Just by looking at her you would actually think that she's more of an 'all-play-no-work' type. _'I should really stop judging people like this' _She thought as she silently reprimanded herself.

"Ok, Sakura it is then." She answered and ensued introducing her to the rest of the group.

* * *

'_Maybe I should have accepted TenTen's offer and let her walk me to the clinic." _She thought in consternation as she kept walking. Principal Tsunade had earlier given her instructions on how to get to the clinic, just in case she felt worse, but the school grounds were so extensive that she got herself lost.

If it had been any other day, she would have gotten the instructions right away but this wasn't just like any other day. This day, her throbbing head, her sore throat, and fatigue were clouding her memory, her sense of direction, and her judgement.

She soon found herself staring at the school swimming pool.

'_Oh no…' _She thought in alarm as her ocular and motor senses started wavering. Fatigue and pain finally took its toll on her as her mind and body submitted to total shut down.

* * *

"What the…" Nara Shikamaru muttered as he made sure what he saw was real.

He was just about to return to the classroom after having a peaceful sleep on the school roof when he saw a girl fall into the pool. When she didn't rise, his mind instantaneously started analyzing the situation at hand.

He was on the roof top of the school library and that would mean that she was seven-stories below. He was a fast runner but even he would take, more or less, four minutes to run from the roof top down to the pool and it would certainly use up a significant amount of his energy. He rapidly sifted the choices he had in his head and decided on the most logical one.

'_This is the best option.' _He thought to himself as he started moving his body.

Making sure nobody was around, he started to jump from the roof and run down the side of the building with such speed and agility.

"_If her breathing and circulation has stopped, she's clinically dead."_ He thought grimly as he was nearing the scene. _'0-4 minutes from that point, brain damage is still unlikely but if I still haven't revived her within 4 minutes, brain damage would already be probable. I would have to apply water safety and render basic life support.'_

"How troublesome." He uttered in slight annoyance as he got to the pool and immediately dove in the water.

He was fairly astounded at the vision that was before him but he knew that now was not the time to think of such things so he pushed it at the back of his mind for later scrutiny.

After a few applications of water safety, he was able to carry her onto the dry pavement of the pool. He instantly checked for possible spinal cord injury she may have obtained during the fall and found that there was none. He proceeded to loosen the buttons of her blouse for better ventilation and, when he assessed that there was negative pulse and negative breathing, he started performing CPR.

'_This is_ really_ becoming troublesome." _He allowed himself a brief sigh prior to giving the girl, lying unconscious before him, the first resuscitating breath of the life-giving cycle.


	2. Past is Past Or is it?

Love by Definition

By Paris Lee

* * *

Hi guys…Thank you so much for the reviews!

And I'm sorry it took me so long to post this. After I posted the prologue, I started working on the first chapter only to realize that my knowledge on Naruto is still, for the lack of a better word, inadequate. And, well, this made me feel so darn awful. So much, in fact, that I had a case of writer's block. So, I'm really sorry. But know that I tried very hard to remedy this.

I really hope you like this chapter. I tried to reveal more of the plot in this one.

To those who read the prologue and to those who reviewed, thank you so much! You're words warm the heart and inspire the mind. So, thank you. Really.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto.

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER ONE

_Past is past._

_Or is it?_

A kunai, gone astray, flew several inches above her head as she concentrated on the eleventh injured ninja before her. Partially tuning out the ensuing combat not too far from where they were, she gathered the precise amount of chakra in her right palm and positioned it over her unconscious patient's bleeding chest.

'_Live'. _She thought as she silently willed the unconscious ninja to respond to her healing technique. _'You have to live.'_

She did not know this man personally but what she knew about him was enough. She knew that he had a family – a wife and a baby not older than six months – waiting for him. And it was her job to make sure that he came home to them.

She was a medical ninja. Medic-nin as most would call her type. She was the second best in Konoha – the first being the Hokage, of course – and she would be damned if she would let this man die.

Several minutes passed and she was starting to feel a little light headed and could feel her muscles tingling as she added a bit more chakra to her palm. She was tempted to wipe the sweat slowly forming on her forehead but resisted the urge. She knew that any unnecessary movement may disrupt the flow of energy being passed between them.

Another several minutes passed and she was finally able to revive him. After making sure he was really out of any life threatening danger, she allowed herself to momentarily sit on the ground and rest her back against the tree behind her. Sitting there, she looked at the casualties she had cared for. It took her a moment to realize that no one was being brought into the triage area anymore.

She was just about to stand up and check on her patients when she saw a group of bruised and tired ninjas approaching the area. They were a sight to look at but she let out a sigh of relief nonetheless. They were all okay. Her friends were alive.

"Sakura-chan!" A severely battered boy with yellow-blonde hair called out as he hurriedly walked towards the medic-nin together with their friends. "Sakura-chan…"

* * *

'_That dream again…'_ Sakura thought blearily. For years now, she had been having recurring dreams with the same theme and she simply did not know what to make of it.

She had just woken up and her pupils were just commencing to become equally round and reactive to light accommodation. Vision still a bit hazy, she took a quick look around her surroundings and found herself lying in bed in an immaculate room illuminated by the rays of the late morning sun seeping through the window.

'_Where am I?'_ She contemplated as she temporarily pushed her dream to the back of her mind. She carefully rose from the bed only to discover her long pink hair damp and her body draped in a white hospital gown. Taking another good look at her surrounding, she realized that she was in, what seemed to be, a clinic.

'_The school clinic to be exact.' _She thought with mild apprehension as she saw the school logo on one of the linens on the other bed and on her hospital gown. Stepping down from the bed, she walked around the small room and saw her uniform, without any crease, hanging neatly in an open closet.

Deciding to change into her uniform, she made her way to the bathroom, which was beside the open closet. After changing, she looked at her reflection in the mirror while running her fingers through her hair, wondering why it was damp.

'_I remember searching for the clinic because I wasn't really feeling well.' _She thought as she gradually recalled what had transpired. _'I felt so tired. I must have passed out and fell in the pool.'_

'_I wonder who pulled me out.' _She thought as she gave her reflection one final look and walked out of the bathroom. After tidying the bed she slept in and making sure she did not leave anything behind, she opened the door and stepped out of the room.

* * *

"Wrong." Ino commented just by looking at the paper. Good thing it was only scrap paper. "I suggest you start revising your work before Teacher Kurenai comes back."

"What!" Naruto asked disbelievingly. "But I got the same answer!"

"The instruction is to factor the following equations using the quadratic formula."

"What!" Reading the instructions for the first time, he hastened to solve the problems once more with a couple of peeks at his seatmate's paper. "Hey, um, Ino…"

"What now, Naruto?" Ino asked with forced patience.

"Have we met Haruno Sakura before?"

Ino stopped in the middle of neatly drawing a box around the final problem's answer and placed her pencil on standby mode. She looked at Naruto and saw him in deep thought. "No, I don't think we have. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I feel like we _have_."

* * *

"Hey." Shikamaru remarked as he acknowledged the woman who had just stepped out of the resting quarters of the clinic. "Feeling better?"

"Yes, I am. Thank you." Sakura looked at the person in front of her and wondered who he was. He was of medium height and build and his hair was pony tailed in the form of a fruit.

Seeing the curious expression on her face, Shikamaru introduced himself. "I am Nara Shikamaru of Class 4-1. I was assigned to give you a detailed tour of the school and give you all the assistance you need to help you adjust, Miss Haruno Sakura."

"I see." Sakura replied with mild irritation. It was supposed to be a kind offer but the way it was delivered slightly irked her. She could see by his stance and facial expression that he would have rather been anywhere else right now. His hands were shoved in his pockets and his expression was uninterested. "There's no need."

Shikamaru noted the slight change in her mood and frowned. He supposed it was something he had said. Ino mentioned something about that but he could not remember because he chose that time to tune her out.

'_How troublesome women are.' _He thought as he mentally sighed. _'Why do they have to be so fickle?_' He was just about to think of some reasons why but was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a question directed at him.

"Would you happen to know who saved me?" Sakura inquired. "I want to thank that person."

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Me."

"Oh."

* * *

Tsunade refilled her sakazuki with warm sake after giving the student profiles on her desk one final look. Almost as an afterthought, she offered one to the new arrival. "Want one, Kakashi?"

"I still don't drink when I'm on duty." Kakashi answered and smiled beneath his mask. "Especially if it's in the middle of the day."

"More for me." Tsunade shrugged good-naturedly and tipped the drink into her mouth in one swift move.

Putting the sakazuki down, she turned to collect the folders on her desk and gave them to the grey-haired man. "Analyze the information in your hands. They will be arriving next week. Have Pakkun make sure they're all clean before then and have not been corrupted."

"But I thought we were to watch over Sakura-_chan_."

"I have assigned that task to a different person. I find that you are best suited for this one." Tsunade stated as she started refilling her sakazuki once more. "I want this done as soon as possible."

"As you wish, Hokage-sama." Kakashi bowed and disappeared into a puff of smoke.


	3. A Vague Sense of Belonging

Love by Definition

By Paris Lee

* * *

Hi guys…Thank you so much to those who reviewed and to those who added my story and me to their favourites and alerts list. Thank you!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto.

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER TWO

_A Vague Sense of Belonging and the Introduction of the Wearisome Pair._

"We're going to have Foreign Exchange Students in OUR school!" Ino stopped in her tracks and asked with delight.

"Yes, Ino." Sakura answered and stopped beside her friend. "And I also heard they'll be staying for a month."

Resuming their walk to school, Sakura can't help but smile at her fondly as she started talking excitedly about how fun everything was going to be.

It had only been four days since she transferred but she was already feeling at home already. Being with Ino –with their clique– made her feel good inside. Yes, it was rather odd, considering that she had just known them for a while, but she felt as though she belonged.

Ino, TenTen, and Hinata were like the sisters she never had.

The boys were, well, she couldn't place them yet. Except for Naruto and Chouji. They were like the little brothers she never had.

" – because if they do, Sasuke will burn them. Don't you think so?"

"Yes, of course." Sakura, who had absolutely no idea what Ino was talking about, agreed absentmindedly. "Uh, Ino?"

"What is it, Sakura?"

"Do you believe in past lives?"

"I never really thought about it." Ino answered while searching Sakura's facial expression for any clue as to why she suddenly asked such a question. "Do you?"

Sakura looked thoughtful for a moment. "Don't know."

* * *

"Oh, man!" A suave-looking student, seated at the front, pleasantly exclaimed. "You're late _again_, Teacher Kakashi. We can hardly wait to hear what your excuse is _this _time."

Sakura looked up from Hinata's health education notes in time to see their adviser leisurely enter the room.

"Funny you should ask, Isamu." Kakashi affably replied while carelessly depositing a big brown box on his table. "I was on my way to school when I was suddenly waylaid by the two most beautiful unicorns I have ever seen…"

And he would have continued explaining his most absurd excuse yet if it were not for the collective groans that suddenly filled the room in protest and exasperation. He even had the cheek to ask them if they're sure they didn't want to hear the story.

When his students finally settled down, he proceeded with the roll call and was quite surprised when the next name he called out happened to be present. He was asleep but present nonetheless.

"Wha…?" Shikamaru groggily lifted his head from the desk and looked inquiringly at Chouji who heavily nudged him when his name was called.

In the background, Naruto could be heard guffawing right before Ino gave him a sound cuff on the head.

The plump boy simply pointed to the front and resumed to sneak in a candy in his mouth.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot." Kakashi, who was staring at his sleepy student who was now resting his chin on his hand while barely suppressing a yawn, snapped his fingers as though he had just remembered something.

"Shikamaru."

"Yes?"

"Principal Tsunade wants you in her office right now."

Sighing loudly, he stood up and started walking to the door while muttering how troublesome it was being roused from his sleep only to be sent to the Principal's office.

"And, Shikamaru?" The masked teacher called out.

Hands shoved in his pockets and only inches from the door, he looked back.

"The Principal wants you to bring Sakura as well."

* * *

"So, how are you adjusting?" Shikamaru, still a bit sluggish, asked Sakura who was walking beside him.

It was a long walk to the Principal's Office so he decided to start a conversation. Had it been a different person he was walking with, he would have done otherwise but, basing from the very first conversation he had with the pink-haired girl, he knew that talking to her would not be senseless.

In the clinic a few days ago, when she had found out that it was him who had saved her, she had slowly warmed up to him a bit and, on their way back to their room, had started a friendly conversation with him. He had liked the way she easily opened a topic or smoothly changed it. She was direct to the point but was not tactless. Another plus was that she did not babble and did not force an answer form you.

"I'm doing great actually. The girls were thoughtful enough to lend me their notes on every subject so I had no problem catching up." Sakura answered and continued. "And everyone's being nice and accommodating. Ino and the girls occupy me with so many stories. They insist I know everything there is to know about all of you."

"Such as?"

She saw Shikamaru lift up an eyebrow while maintaining a bored expression on his face. The conversations they have had these past few days have taught her not to take offence at this idiosyncrasy of his. She had come to accept that this was how he was. Ino said so herself.

"Such as the indistinct relationship between Neji and TenTen, Naruto and Ino, and Sasuke and Hinata."

'_Or lack thereof.'_ He thought dryly and grunted. "Trivial."

"Perhaps." Sakura, deep in thought, replied. "You know, Shikamaru, what may be trivial and of no importance to us may be significant and profound to others, you know. And what may be significant and profound to us may be trivial and of no importance to them."

"Point taken."

She looked at the person beside him and saw that he was mulling over her words and genuinely understood what she was trying to say. "Anyway, TenTen also told me how you and Ino used to be engaged."

"Hn."

Seeing that she wasn't going to get anything more than a 'hn.', she continued. "I also remember Ino telling me about how handsome Naruto's father is and how the older Uzumaki is curiously referred to as 'Yondaime'. Why is that?"

"I never really thought of that." Shikamaru answered as he evaded the question. "Although, I _do _remember my father telling me that the Yondaime, despite his hot-headedness and brashness, is well-known for his ready smile and his knack to stir confidence and admiration in others. Other than that, I don't really know much about Naruto's father. He's not around much."

"I see." Sakura thought about this for a moment before continuing. "At any rate, there's also that story about Neji's and Hinata's warped up family traditions. And then, there's Sasuke's ridiculous need to surpass his brother."

Shikamaru had a smirk on his face. "Ino sure didn't hold back with her story-telling."

"Oh, she told me more. And so did the girls." Sakura, remembering their other stories, said with a smile. "But, you don't have to know."

"I don't think I _want _to know." He stated wryly.

* * *

Tsunade looked at her aces expectantly.

"So let me get this straight." Shikamaru, arms crossed over the chest and comfortably seated at the couch, stated indifferently after mentally going over what their Principal had just said. "You want _us_ in charge of the Foreign Exchange Students' accommodation and leisure pursuit _and_ assist them in their academic transition?"

She merely nodded while leaning back against her chair.

"Why _us_?" Sakura asked inquisitively.

"Why not?" Tsunade, a blank expression on her face and a calculating gleam in her eyes, answered with a question of her own.

"Because it's just troublesome." Shikamaru muttered under his breath matter-of-factly.

Narrowing her eyes in mild irritation, Tsunade leaned forward, placed her arms on the desk, and spoke with intimidating calm. "That may be so but you _will _do this. It is for the school. This is _not_ a request. It is an _order_. Is that _clear_?"

Sakura acquiesced with mutinous eyes cast down, thinking why the Principal was acting like a Military Commander instead.

Shikamaru, mask of indifference once again in place, looked at the inquisitor. "Crystal."

"Great!" Tsunade, whose menacing glare was immediately replaced by a wide smile, exclaimed. "Now, I would like to –"

But Tsunade wasn't able to tell them what it was she would like to do because, much to their surprise, the door to her office suddenly banged open followed by the entry of the two chubbiest, chibiest, and cutest twins Sakura and had ever seen.

* * *

"Bwothew, me ith tho hungew! (Brother, me is so hunger!)" One of the twins, just a tad smaller than the other, cried out and sat on the carpeted floor with his small legs outstretched.

The other twin sat in front of his brother and started to pat him reassuringly in the cutest way ever. "Don't worrieth, brother. I ith take good careth of youth! (Don't worries, brother. I is take good cares of yous!)"

They looked to be about three to five years old and all Sakura wanted to do at that moment was to take them in her arms and give them a hug. Or, given their weight, at least _try _to. She really _would_ have, too, if it weren't for Shikamaru who suddenly took hold of her wrist and pulled her back.

He felt something off with these children.

Sensing sudden movement behind them, the brothers turned to see that they were not alone.

"Ith youth haf our foodth? (Is yous have our foods?)" The larger twin asked Shikamaru suspiciously.

He slightly sweatdropped.

He had no idea what the child had just said. Actually, the number one genius of Konoha High had no idea what the child and his brother had been talking about since they entered the room.

"I think he's asking you if you have their food." Sakura, who was situated behind Shikamaru against her will, took a peek from behind his shoulders and pointed out helpfully.

'_This is so troublesome.' _He thought. He had a strong feeling that these children were going to throw more than just a fit if they weren't given what they wanted. He began to formulate a brilliant reply. And found that he could not. "Uh, no, I don't."

At that, the two chubbiest, chibiest, and cutest twins Sakura had ever seen began to show signs of an impending outburst when a voice in front of them suddenly boomed.

"Are those my favourite nephews?" Tsunade fondly, and loudly, called out from behind her office desk. She had been watching the four of them silently and liked what she saw.

The twins snapped their heads in attention as they recognized the voice. Scrambling to their feet, they cutely scurried to the source and began singing in delight and in unison. "Kage-thama! Kage-thama! Kage-thama! (Kage-sama! Kage-sama! Kage-sama!)"

"_Kage-sama_? Why are they calling her that?" Sakura, feeling as though she might disturb something if she didn't, whispered into Shikamaru's ear.

He just shrugged in answer and, just like Sakura –if her gasp was any indication at all–, was amazed when Tsunade easily carried _both _children in either side of her arms.

"Kage-thama! We ith looking fow youth long long time jutht like thith! (Kage-sama! We is looking for you long long time just like THIS!)" The smaller twin cutely stretched his arms sideways to emphasize just how long they had been looking for her.

The larger of the twins nodded his head vigorously and continued what his brother was saying. "We ith looking for youth tho hardetht. Tho we very hunger very much! We hungry tho much, we can eating horthy thith big! (We is looking for you so hardest. So we very hungry very much! We hungry so much, we can eating a horsy THIS big!)"

He adorably stretched his arms outward to emphasize just how big a horse they could eat. "Can we eating horthy? (Can we eating horsy?)" He asked as his cute round eyes endearingly widened in curiosity as the idea suddenly became appealing.

"Yeth! Yeth, Kage-thama! (Yes! Yes, Kage-sama!)" The smaller one, eyes clearly lit and adorably blinking, squirmed excitedly at the idea. "Can we pwease eating howthy? (Can we please eating horsy?)"

They were just too cute that even Shikamaru gave out a small chuckle.

Tsunade pretended to be thinking it over before giving her nephews a scheming smile. Setting them down on the table, she leaned in close to tell them the plan. "Tell you what…if you settle for burgers now then we'll get you your horses later. Is that a deal?"

The twins thought for a moment then whispered among themselves. Finally breaking apart with a proud expression on their faces, the smaller one answered for the both of them. "Can we hafing ten buwgews pwease? Each pwease? (Can we having ten burgers please? Each please?)"

"No problem!" Tsunade replied with a winning smile and pulled something out from her drawer. "Now, why don't you have these candies first while you wait with Sakura outside? I still have to speak with Shikamaru for a while."

Sakura was surprised at the sudden turn out of the situation but had no other choice since the twins, stuffed with candies in their mouth, were already pulling and pushing her towards the door while trying to pronounce their names.

* * *

"_What_?" Shikamaru asked just to be sure he had heard correct.

"You heard me."

"But – "

"No 'buts', Shikamaru, except yours outside my office together with my nephews' and Sakura's"

His freshly formulated protests withered when he saw Tsunade's eyes narrow dangerously.

"I'm serious, Shikamaru. This is _also _an order."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." He answered after a long pause. Not bothering to stifle a loud sigh, he started for the door.

'_Why do I always get myself into these troublesome situations?'_

* * *

There, I hope you liked this chapter. If you have an idea who the chubby, chibi, cute twins are, or who I based them from, please tell me there names because I can't seem to remember.

Anyway, what to expect next chapter: basically, the introduction of the Foreign Exchange Students, who happen to be the rest of the Naruto Gang, and subtle triangles to help our heroes wake up and take action.

Also, I'm planning to change the title, the summary, and the genre because they don't seem to jive with the content. What do you think? When I started making this story, I had a much lighter theme in mind but, as fate would have it, the story took on a life of its own and decided to veer in a different direction.

Oh, I almost forgot. To NejiSaku and SasuHina Fans, please try my story: "Truthful Deception".

So, there. Please don't forget to review!


	4. The Amalgamation of The Past

Love by Definition

By Paris Lee

11111111111111

Hello everyone! I'm **so** sorry for the delay. This chapter was supposed to have been posted about a month or two ago but I had serious family and school stuff to tend to _and_ there was a heavy storm which prevented me from doing so.

I am from the City of Baguio in the Country of the Philippines and the week-long storm 'Florita' caused more than forty landslides, devastated a lot of families, and took several lives.

Let us pray for them.

I'm not too confident about this chapter but I owe it to you guys. You've all been very supportive and it just warms my heart to no end.

I have read a lot of fanfictions where the author thanks the reviewers 'on-the-air' and, after a lot of thought, I have decided to do the same. While thanking my dear reviewers 'on the air' may not be a regular thing, it most definitely isn't a one-time thing either. I do this because I want you guys to know just how much your kind words, support, and encouragement mean to me.

This chapter is dedicated to all of you!

**des and Sam:** You guys were my very first reviewers! Thank you ). **hysterical laughter:** I'm glad you liked the 'Sakura-falls-into-the-pool-and-is-saved-by-Shikamaru' scenario ) I really enjoyed writing that part ). As for your second review, well…that remains a secret. smiles mysteriously But, I will say this: things will really be much more interesting as the story progresses ). Thank you for the reviews! **razslover1:** I really love the Shikamaru-Sakura pairing and I'm glad that you do as well so I hope you like the story and this new chapter ). Thank you! **merisa:** I'm actually not fond of AU stories myself but since my knowledge on Naruto was still very inadequate when I first came up with the idea to write my very first Naruto fiction, I decided to make it an AU so as not to be accused of trashing the anime ). BUT, now that I'm beginning to understand more of Naruto, this fiction may not be totally AU-ish after all smiles mysteriously. Thank you for reviewing! **Natsuhiboshi:** Yes? You mean 'yes' I should change the title, genre, and summary? Anyway, thank you so much for the consistent reviews and for reading my Neji-Sakura story, 'Truthful Deception'. Thank you for your compliment as well! I will try to live up to it D. **green24:** I'm happy you found the first chapter awesome. I'll make sure to update regularly to make sure you know what happens next ). Thank you! **Hirosai Kagami:** Thank you for the compliment! **Silent Kunoichi a.k.a. Fiona…:** I'm sorry this took so long. I hope you like this chapter! **Xtreme Nuisance:** Thank you for the review! From the looks of it, coming from you, it's a real compliment ). **blacksyryn:** Yes, same twins from the prison and I also found the twins very cute in a weird way ). The idea suddenly just popped into my mind. It was really cute the way the twins listened to Tsunade alone and no one else. It kind of reminded me of children afraid to disobey their guardians ). Thanks for reviewing and for the information! Oh, who's older by the way? **animemanga-luver-4ever:** I'm so happy you found the previous chapter great ). I really had fun writing the 'chubbiest,chibiest,cutest-twins-being-chubby,chibi,cute' scenario D. **blackXheart: **Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm happy that you liked it ) I hope you like this as well ). **Neji'sgirlfriend: **…?... Um, thank you? **To those who did not leave their reviews and simply opted to include me and 'Love by Definition' in their list of favourites and alerts and in their communities: **Thank you from the bottomless pit of my heart!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto.

11111111111111

**CHAPTER THREE**

_The Amalgamation of the Past with the Present_

"Naruto, don't!" Sakura whispered vehemently and quickly slapped Naruto's hands away from the stack of jumbo-sized burgers on the stone table.

"That hurt." Naruto complained with watery google eyes.

"It was supposed to. These are for the children. And, no, that doesn't include you." Sakura explained with a discreet smile and turned her attention to the chubby twins, who looked like they were getting chubbier, several feet away from her.

Little Raijin, seated on the grass with his stubby legs stretched out in front of him, was adorably swaying to an imaginary music while happily eating one jumbo-sized burger on one hand and staring at another burger on the other.

Little Fuujin, also happily eating one jumbo-sized burger on one hand and staring at another burger on the other, was lying on the ground and was stretching both hands and feet to the sky and, every now and then, was rolling from left to right in the cutest fashion.

She was seated on the make-shift stone seat sturdily resting on the grassy ground just outside the school canteen. Since it was a beautiful day with the sun high up in the sky, Shikamaru decided it was better to have the twins eat their food outside where they could run and play and tire themselves out afterwards.

'_Speaking of that lazy person, where is he?'_ She thought curiously as Naruto pleaded in front of her with his 'lost-puppy-dog' eyes. _'I'm going to make him pay for leaving me like this!'_

11111111111111

He sneezed and then suddenly felt a chill run through his spine.

"Bless you, Shika."

"_Why_ are you here again?" Shikamaru, haphazardly lying on a branch of a _very_ tall tree with his legs dangling at the sides and was looking at the passing clouds in the sky, asked the beautiful platinum-blonde lazily.

"Everyone's inside reviewing for the next subject. Naruto and I got bored. Math got turned into a free period. Kurenai-sensei was sent on a mission together with Asuma-sensei." Ino, casually standing two feet away from Shikamaru's crotch, answered. "They certainly seem to be getting along real well."

"They always have." The genius strategist knew she wasn't referring to their teachers. Tearing his gaze away from the fan-shaped cloud, he redirected it to the hyper blonde fox-boy, several meters below them, kneeling before the cherry blossom who was pretending to be irritated. "And they always will. You know that."

A light breeze, carrying laughter from the two people below, swept past them

"I know. It's just that, I, well…" Ino sighed as she recollected her thoughts in order to make a coherent statement. She sat on the branch and saw that her childhood friend had once again turned his attention at the clouds. "I'm afraid, Shika. What if, with the return of his memories, he remembers his feelings for Sakura?"

'_Women and their insecurities.' _Shikamaru thought unenthusiastically. _'Always placing you in troublesome arrangements.'_

He let out a long drawn breath and absentmindedly ran his hand through his hair as he took one final look at the pineapple-shaped cloud slowly passing by. He then sat up from his lying position and moved to sit beside his troubled friend and former fiancée.

"Ino, he _will _remember his feelings for Sakura." He replied and continued as he placed his hand on top of her head. "Pretty much like how you remembered your feelings for Sasuke and like how I remembered my feelings for you. But look at us now. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Ino took a moment to digest what she had just heard and, after a while, nodded in understanding.

"Good." Shikamaru settled for that and went back to cloud watching. "Now quit being so troublesome and leave me in peace."

11111111111111

The curtains were carefully spread to cover every inch of the tightly closed windows of the small office. The door was locked close with two highly skilled yet inconspicuous sentinels vigilantly guarding it outside and, about an hour or so earlier, several seals were done inside and outside the room.

For six hours, there was no way anybody or anything was going to get in or out of that room.

So, Hatake Kakashi, who had immediately headed for the skilfully sealed room right after his homeroom class a while ago and had now just finished with half of the extensive reading material before him _and_ was now rubbing the bridge of his nose in weariness, was not going anywhere. At least, for the next three hours.

Oh, and Pakkun, too.

"I never really thought you'd agree to proof read their profile."

"Yes, well…" Kakashi looked at the canine dryly as he remembered the Godaime Hokage waving before him the never before seen special edition of his favourite book, _Icha Icha Paradise._ "…a man's got to do what a man's got to do."

"How far have you gotten?"

"Just finished reading on the ones with Gai." He replied as the information he had been reading over and over automatically resurfaced in his mind in a summarized form.

Rock Lee – a Taijustsu Specialist totally inept in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu but has already mastered how to open the Fifth Gate of the forbidden technique Hachimon Tonkou. Sabaku no Gaara – highly skilled in sand and chakra manipulation and is known for the killing moves Desert coffin and Desert Funeral.

'_For fate to bring these two children together…' _He thought sardonically and leafed through the remaining profiles with four to five pages each.

Sabaku no Temari

Inuzuka Kiba

Sabaku no Kankuro

Aburame Shino

This was going to be a long day.

11111111111111

Later that afternoon, a few minutes before classes that day ended, several musical notes played in moderate succession on the school loud speaker and was promptly followed by an announcement.

'_The following students please report to the Principal's office right now. The following students please report to the Principal's office right now. Akimichi Chouji, Hyuuga Hinata, Hyuuga Neji, Nara Shikamaru, TenTen, Uchiha Sasuke, and Yamanaka Ino. Please report to the Principal's office right now. Thank you.'_

11111111111111

"Chouji!" Ino, having just seated herself beside TenTen and Hinata on the sofa of the Principal's Office, abruptly stood up and called out in panic. "Don't!"

"But…but…" The round-bodied boy, who was on all fours, on the carpeted floor sputtered miserably as his gaze lingered on the scampering piglet.

"Oi, Chouji." Shikamaru, lazily seated just beside the sofa with his back against the wall not too far from his 'starving' friend, said as he shook his head with his hand on his face in a manner revealing how troublesome he thought the situation was turning into. "Don't you remember? Ton-Ton's the Hokage's prized pet."

"But I'm _so_ hungry!"

"What?" TenTen asked, confusion written on her face. "Weren't you just eating two bags of potato chips and a super jumbo cheeseburger on the way here?"

"Yeah, I was." Chouji, somewhat disoriented, affirmed. "What about it?"

Sasuke, standing beside Hinata who was seated beside TenTen, rolled his eyes in exasperation while Neji, standing near the door, kept his face impassive save for the slight twitch of his right eyebrow.

"Um, I, well, I have a small bag of biscuits and crackers here." Hinata softly notified the boy who was starting to become dizzy from 'hunger'. "Would you care to have some, Chouji?"

"Yes!" Chouji hurriedly crawled towards the soft-spoken girl with new found energy. "Yes please!"

"How about you, Sasuke?" Hinata asked shyly. "Would you like some, too?"

The Uchiha merely shook his head in answer but gave her a very small but genuine smile of gratitude at her thoughtfulness nevertheless.

Hinata returned his rare smile with one of her own serene ones and proceeded to offer the rest of the group with sustenance, aware of the disapproving glare her cousin was directing to Sasuke.

It was at that moment when Tsunade entered the room and made her presence known.

She looked at the seven people in front of her and thought of the other six that were soon to come and the other two who were still unaware. They were neither children nor adults so that's what they were. Just plain people. As plain as they could get. Or so one would think.

She just hoped that everything would work out just fine.

"I trust most, if not all, of your memories have been recovered?" She asked the group in general as she made her way to her seat behind her huge oak desk and promptly received affirmative answers. "Very well then. Here are the information on your former team mates and comrades. I had Kakashi proof read them. All of you are to read these inside this office and, of course, nothing goes out."

She placed the stack of papers on her desk and smirked at the various reactions in front of her. "Looks like you'll be going home late tonight."

11111111111111

"Whaaaat!" Naruto whined in inquiry at Tsunade's assistant, Shizune, seated behind her desk several feet away from the Principal's office.

"I'm sorry, Naruto." Shizune chirped which made it seem like she was anything but sorry. "But the Hoka – I mean, the Principal will be working late tonight on a very important matter with your friends."

"Then why didn't she call for _me_? She _knows_ I'm way better than them." The hyperactive blonde pouted petulantly and continued to pester the secretary. "I'm going in!"

"Nobody can go in or out of that office until they finish so I suggest you go on ahead without them and just talk to them in the morning." Shizune informed the young boy who was already making his way towards the door of the office. "Why don't you just find your new friend? The transfer student. Haruno Sakura, was it? You're not going to let her go home by herself will you?"

Shizune discreetly sighed in relief when she saw the boy stop in his tracks and promptly turned around. If he had forced the locked door open, he would have been flung to the other side of the room because of the seal Tsunade had placed on it an hour ago.

Naruto remained rooted on the ground where he initially stopped. What was he going to do? Wait for Ino or walk Sakura home?

After a minute, he gave out a defeated sigh and left the vicinity.

Shikamaru and Chouji would take care of Ino for him.

11111111111111

"I see." Sakura asked while wiping the blackboard clean. "Did Miss Shizune tell you what it was about?"

"No." Naruto replied glumly but typically made a happy face and gave her a thumbs-up sign. "But don't worry because I'll take you home!"

Sakura, finished with wiping clean the blackboard and was now disinfecting her hands with her ever-present alcohol, gave her companion a dry look with a dab of amusement. "And you would be doing this because?"

"Eh?" Naruto dropped his hand to his side and furrowed his brows in confusion. "Well, because it's the right thing to do. You're my friend and I'm not about to let you go home alone. It's dangerous."

"Right." Sakura articulated with mild sarcasm and a raised brow. "In other words: it is your duty, as a chauvinist, to save me from any evil-doers and from my own helplessness."

"Yes, exactly." Naruto, who was pretending to have immediately understood what her new friend was talking about, replied without thinking. It was only when Sakura's expression drastically changed that he understood the implications of her words. "I mean NO! _Definitely_ not like that. Far from it."

Sakura laughed at this. "Well, that's very sweet of you but there's no need."

When it looked like Naruto was not going to give up, she came up with a compromise. "How about if you walk me to the waiting shed a few blocks past the school gate? After that, you could come back here and wait for Ino. I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

"But –."

"It's the only way."

"Okay then!" Naruto agreed with his trademark smile and thumbs up sign.

11111111111111

There was something wrong.

Sakura couldn't place her finger on it but there was definitely something wrong. She quickened her pace as she made her way through the strangely empty street. It was really eerie that not a soul was in sight. There were no cars or random people around.

She immediately wished she had just let Naruto take her home.

After Naruto had hesitantly left her at the waiting shed, she decided to take a short stroll in the park and check out some new compact discs at the mall.

It was already too late when she realized that it had grown dark.

She was just about to curve around the bend when she felt it.

Somebody was close by. _Too _close.

She immediately, and quite bravely, looked over her shoulder for the unknown entity she felt and was relieved when she found none.

She was about to sigh in relief when her breath got caught in her throat. She didn't know how but there in front of her were three oddly clad and scary-looking men.

They were all wearing long black cloaks which stopped just above the ankles to reveal dirty toes on dirty black sandals and all had black bandanas with a piece of metal in the middle of it bearing an insignia of a musical note.

They were all ugly and only when they started bringing out a weapon of some sort did she begin to feel panic craw up on her as the reality of the situation made itself clear.

She was alone, on the peculiarly empty street, with three mean-looking freaks.

"What do you want?" Sakura managed to ask through her brave façade despite the loud banging of her heart against her chest. "Money? Is that it? Is that what you want?"

"Money she says!" The biggest of the three menacingly snickered as he slowly advanced towards her, like a predator to its prey. "Did you hear that, Saburo?"

"We're not supposed to mention each other's name, Shiro!" Saburo, uglier than the first, slapped his forehead and whined to the person beside him. "He's so stupid, Jiro!"

Sakura mildly sweatdropped at the scene before her. She was just starting to relax when Jiro, the ugliest of the three and seemingly the leader, slapped the faces of the other two in one swift motion.

"That is enough!" Jiro sharply barked. "This one has no recollection of the past. Let us get this over with."

Fear tore at her heart when the three inched towards her. She had no idea what they wanted. She had no idea what they were talking about. And she definitely had no idea why but her instincts told her that they were going to attack right that moment so she had better get a move on.

It all happened so fast.

The three jumped in the air and were aiming deadly looking weapons at her, which would definitely pierce her body in about five seconds. She tightly shut her eyes in an effort to think straight. She didn't know how but she knew she had to distance herself from her attackers.

At the thought, she felt a certain surge of energy course from the different parts of her body to her feet. One moment she was about to be jabbed and the next she was on her behind, a good ten feet away from the ugly men.

"What the…" Saburo remarked in confusion and turned to face the other two. "You said she still hasn't got her memory back!"

"Just shut up and move!" Jiro growled and started running towards the helpless pink-haired female. "She still doesn't know how to control her charka."

'_Oh, no, I can't move!' _Sakura thought in panic as she watched, with increasing fear, her three fast-approaching assailants.

She desperately tried to stand up when she saw a shiny and sharp-looking dagger of some sort thrown at her direction by the ugliest of the three but only managed to fall once again on her behind.

'_Oh, my God, I'm going to die.' _She thought in disbelief as tears started forming in the corner of her eyes.

The weaponry was exactly an inch away from her heart when, all of a sudden, it swerved from its current direction and fell flat on the ground after hitting the brick wall.

"My lovely Cherry Blossom, are you alright?"

Sakura opened her eyes, wondering why she was still alive, to see a serious-looking thick-browed boy, more or less her age, dressed in green spandex and yellow warmers, offering his hand in assistance.

She thankfully accepted his hand and weakly stood up. Despite his appearance, she somehow knew he was not of an evil nature. The moment she stood up, her knees gave way. She would have fallen if not for the firm old on her by her rescuer.

"Don't you dare ignore us!" Saburo exclaimed, angry that his kunai was easily intercepted by a funny-looking boy.

Sakura's green-clad rescuer swept her off her feet, 'bridal style' as many would call it.

He gave her an eye-blinding smile before giving the three assailants a fierce look. "I shall not forgive you for attacking my Cherry Blossom! I shall attack you with smouldering passion with the power of my burning youth!"

Upon hearing his words, Sakura felt oddly safe. But she had no time to analyze why because the three ugly men were just suddenly two feet away from them and ready to attack.

She felt like tearing her hair out. Just what the hell was going on? Here they were, seconds from being mauled, and her rescuer was just smiling. Was this all just a dream? Or was this a sick elaborate joke? Why weren't there any other people around? And why the hell did it seem as if, every now and then, the fast-forward button was being pressed? What was she talking about? Was she…

She was just about to seriously question her sanity right then when her rescuer suddenly jumped high into the air so effortlessly, seconds before their assailants came in contact, deadly contact, with them. And a scant moment later, the same assailants – the three ugly freaks –, after crying out in pain, suddenly fell to the ground.

And then turned into logs.

"How odd that despite your flaming power of youth you are late!"

Sakura, very much in a complete loss, looked up to face the thick-browed lad carrying her, wondering if it was her he was talking to. Upon seeing that she wasn't, she followed his gaze and was no longer surprised to see the familiar raven-haired, ebony-orbed, more often than not stoic person not too far from them.

This was, after all, a dream, wasn't it?

It had to be.

"You're early." Uchiha Sasuke countered in deadpan. "You're not supposed to have arrived yet."


	5. Reality Check

Love by Definition

By Paris Lee

* * *

Hello everyone! Remember this story? I am very sorry for the long wait. My muse for this story just suddenly disappeared. Took me quite some time to find her. I'm really very sorry. As for the people who patiently waited for this updated, I am eternally grateful. Especially to those who reviewed and even kindly included my story and I in their list of favourites and alerts.

I will apologize in advance if you find this chapter boring. I, myself, am not contented with it. But please bear with this kind of chapter a little longer because I still need to set up the stage as some of you may call it. Thank you very much and enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR**

_Reality Check_

"How odd that despite your flaming power of youth you are late!" The exuberant Rock Lee pointed out before gently putting down his obviously confused lady baggage to her feet.

"You're early. You're not supposed to have arrived yet." Sasuke replied with his usual deadpan expression before turning his attention to the man who suddenly appeared behind him, a brow raised in query.

"There are three of them." Sabaku no Gaara articulated in his trademark tone of voice. "Their level is slightly above normal and they are still within the immediate vicinity. They are supposedly assassins from the Country of Sou –."

"Assassins?" Sakura blurted out incredulously and gave the red-haired man a piercing look. "Are you serious? First they were just ugly and oddly dressed men. Then they turned into dangerous and violent _and_ ugly and oddly dressed men. And now you're saying they're dangerous and violent and ugly and oddly dressed _assassins_? What in the world is going on here!?"

"Sakura, calm down."

"No, I will _not_ calm down!" She replied angrily, the familiarity of the voice vaguely registering in her mind as she started feeling light-headed and weak. "I was almost killed by these dangerous and violent and ugly and oddly dressed assassins. So, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather –."

"My lovely Cherry Blossom!" Rock Lee cried out with a comical look of horror as his pink-haired lady love started collapsing. He immediately started to catch her but Sasuke beat him to it by half a second just as a shower of kunai started pouring down on them.

"We will handle this." Gaara remarked unconcernedly, shielding them with his chakra-filled sand, and grudgingly added when Sasuke looked at him with mild uncertainty. "I will endeavour not to eliminate them."

"You do that." The raven-haired Uchiha replied dryly as he briefly watched him lead the enemy group away from them with the loud pumped up green clad Lee. But his attention was immediately transferred to Sakura who suddenly shifted in his arms.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Sakura?" He called out and started to lay her on the ground of the empty street with her head on his lap so as to provide cushion to it. "Sakura, are you alright?"

"W-Where am I?" She asked no one in particular, still disoriented and feeling queasy, her vision still blurry. "And who are you? How do you know my name?"

"Sakura, it's me." He muttered with forced patience. "Sasuke."

"Sasuke?" She repeated weakly and tried to push him away as she droned on. "No, you can't be. He won't be caught in this kind of situation. Besides, we're not even that close. You can't – OUCH!" Sakura suddenly cried out when a swift jolt of pain shoot up her left side when she tried to stand up, a hand instinctively moving to it.

"Who did that to you?" Sasuke asked with chilling calmness and dangerously narrowed eyes after prying and inspecting. She had been wearing a red sweatshirt that nobody had noticed the deep gash in the left lower quadrant of her abdomen. No wonder she momentarily passed out and appeared very weak. "I want you to tell me who did that to you."

Sakura's eyes widened with considerable fright at the question. She had been asked that question before. She didn't know when but she had a strong feeling that she had been asked that question before, in a situation not unlike this one. The pain in her side was abruptly replaced by the paralyzing pain in her head. There was suddenly a multitude of memories of faces, places, and names clashing against each other and forcing their way into her consciousness. It was all too much.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Sakura!" Sasuke called out in near panic when she started screaming and flailing her arms around before placing her hands on her ears as though in an attempt to block out something, everything. It must be the effect of premature memory recovery.

He didn't know what to do. He was a fighter, for crying out loud, not a healer. What she was doing was increasing the size of her wound and no amount of bandage will stop her from bleeding to death then. The thought shook him to the core. If anybody asked, he would deny it to up to his death but the truth was that even if she had no recollection of their past, he and Sakura have been through a lot together. She was the first girl he ever risked letting in and he sure as hell wouldn't know what to do if he lost her.

Not knowing what else to do, he carefully pulled her to his lap and wrapped his arms around her and, their on the bare ground of the sidewalk, he awkwardly cradled her while whispering to her how everything was going to be alright because he was there and he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her.

She struggled at first but soon started to relax, much to his relief. But the feeling was short lived because Jiro, the ugliest of the three assassins, appeared not too far from them with a smug revolting smile.

"I came here to finish the job." He drawled out and then, as an afterthought, continued. "Oh, and don't worry about your friends, my brothers and our team will be sending them to the after life very soon. As I will you.

"You can try." The young Uchiha replied with his usual air of arrogance and trademark smirk, as he removed his shirt and carefully lay Sakura on the ground, using his shirt as her head cushion. He was a tad annoyed that Lee and Gaara were taking their time playing with the enemy, even so far as sending one to him by purposely letting him slip past them.

"Oooh, she your girlfriend or something?" Jiro childishly taunted as he watched the pair in front of her and then did something very stupid that would seal his unfortunate fate – he continued talking. "I was the one who gave her that injury, you know? And it's not just an injury. It's a flesh-eating fast-spreading injury. She'll die one way or another. Either by my hand or by the complications of the injury."

As though in testimony to his words, Sakura started coughing up blood.

Jiro continued stupidly taunting him and missed the radical change in the young man's eyes. And before he could so much as process how it happened, he was already on the ground with just an inch of life left in him. He then felt himself being picked up by the cloth around his neck and was now at eyelevel with the young man. It was then he saw it. The legendary Sharingan.

And it was then that Jiro, the dangerous and violent and ugly and oddly dressed assassins, understood the meaning of fear and the meaning of pain.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Sakura helplessly watched in horror as Sasuke slowly broke the man's arm. His back was turned to her but he was clearly very angry and was now moving to the ugly man's other arm. By the looks of it, Sasuke intended to break all of the ugly man's fours.

This was not Sasuke. She refused to believe it. She tried calling out to him but it was like he couldn't hear anything. She figured that he must be caught up in some sort of anger-fuelled power trip. She had to stop it before he ended up killing the dreadful looking man.

With great effort, she stood up and started walking towards them, each step feeling agonizingly heavy and painful. She coughed up more blood and felt weaker by the second but she persevered. She had a strange feeling that this had happened before; that Sasuke was someone important to her; that he was doing this for her. And that feeling grew stronger as she neared them.

She was but five steps away from them when her knees finally gave in together with the feeling of light-headedness. Her breathing was starting to shallow and the pain in her side was hurting like hell but she would not be deterred. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself and started her plea. "Sasuke, please, stop this already."

"No!" Sasuke vehemently disagreed, a crazed look on his face. "Stay out of this, Sakura."

"St-Stop it already." She weakly pleaded, her throat feeling dry and her lungs feeling as though it were on fire.

"But he's the one who hurt you! He has to –."

"It doesn't matter!" Sakura interjected, putting as mush force as she could to her now reedy voice. She could feel herself starting to lose consciousness as memories where Sasuke, covered in tribal-like tattoo, was doing the same thing he was doing now but to a different man and in a very familiar forest came into mind. The memories were wreaking havoc in her mind and were giving her another painfully splitting headache but she was still able to make out Sasuke telling the ugly man that the next blow would be the last.

With all her remaining strength, she resolutely stood up and started walking towards the young Uchiha as fast as her feet could carry her, fighting for the consciousness she was barely hanging on to. She could vaguely hear the ugly man Jiro screaming in agony as Sasuke prepared him for the final blow and all that was running through her mind was that she couldn't let him become like the men who attacked her – a murderer.

And just as the Sharingan wielder was about to deliver the last blow amidst the scream of agony, Sakura threw herself against his back in desperation and wrapped her arms around him, both for warm support and restraining purposes. And with the last of her strength, she implored to him one more time and then finally blacked out but not before vaguely catching a glimpse of a stunned, disbelieving, and confused Naruto partially hidden across the street.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Sasuke looked at the pathetic creature he held by the scruff of the neck that was ugly man Jiro and felt his killing rage rise by the minute. He couldn't believe Sakura would even think to ask him to spare the bastard's life. She really hasn't changed one bit, still too kind-hearted for her own good.

That's why he and Naruto always took care of the side-effects – complications – of her too kind heart. But Naruto still hadn't recovered his memories so it was up to him to protect her. And that was exactly what he was going to do. Simply breaking his arms and legs is not enough.

He was just about to deal the last blow when he suddenly felt Sakura's small body propped up against his back, her usually warm hands now spreading coldness to his bare chest.

"Please, Sasuke, you're not like them." Sakura spoke, her warm breath breathing to his skin and his soft spoken plea penetrating his killing haze.

When he felt her hold on him loosen, he gave Jiro one quick final knock-out punch before carelessly throwing him away as one would with insignificant trash.

"Sakura!" He called out in alarm when he saw her deathly pallor and felt her cold extremities. It was during that moment when Shikamaru and the rest of the team arrived.

But it was also during that moment when the Kyuubi suddenly awakened.

* * *

Ino sighed with a heavy heart as she looked at the still unconscious blonde lying on the bed. After their final class ended that day, she immediately went to the Flower Shop just a couple of blocks away, purchased a bouquet of assorted flowers, and quickly made a bee line back to the school. 

It had already been a month since that day. A month since the attack made on Sakura. A month since the 'foreign students' arrived just in time to rescue her. A month since Sasuke fully activated his Sharingan. A month since Naruto felt and realized that there was another entity residing within him.

One whole month since Sakura and Naruto fell into coma.

Ino silently cursed herself when she felt the all too familiar sting in her eyes, accompanied by the tears threatening to spill from them, as memories of that day came flooding in her mind.

"_Sasuke?" Hinata asked in concern when she felt him suddenly stiffen beside her. When he made no reply and abruptly stood up instead, his handsome face slightly marred by the fierce grimace etched on it, Hinata's concern doubled. "W-What's wrong?"_

_Her second question, combined with peculiar action of the raven-haired Uchiha, effectively caught the attention of everybody in the room, causing most of them to put down the profiles they were reading on top of the coffee table and ask questions of their own._

_But Sasuke took no notice of this as his eyes squinted in deep concentration._

_There was something wrong. He couldn't put a finger on it but something was definitely wrong. The familiar signature chakra that suddenly materialized was very faint but otherwise present and seemed as if it were being overwhelmed._

_His thoughts were cut short when he felt Hinata's gentle clasp on his forearm and mentally cursed himself when he saw the look of combined fear and concern in her eyes. He was about to reassure her when the faint signature chakra suddenly disappeared for a few seconds before appearing again, only this time, a notch lower._

_It was then when all thoughts of reassuring Hinata went out the window as slight panic started to overcome him. He wasn't sure before because it was too faint but its sudden disappearance, even if only for a few seconds, confirmed whose signature chakra it was._

_He was just about to unceremoniously leave the office when the door suddenly banged open, revealing the secretary of the principal in a frantic state._

"_It's Naruto!" Shizune exclaimed with fidgeting hands to no one in particular. "He was here waiting for Ino when he just suddenly took off saying something about Sakura being in trouble. His chakra flow was erratic. If his memories are triggered now, while his chakra is in frenzy, there's no saying what could happen."_

_The few seconds of stunned silence and realization that it was Sakura's signature chakra they were all faintly and vaguely feeling earlier was broken when Shikamaru's voice, suddenly full of authority instead of its usual lack of energy, encompassed the room just as Ino and Sasuke were about to leave the room. "Both of you stay where you are."_

"_Damn it, Nara!" The young Uchiha snapped when he felt his movements still without his consent. "I don't have time for this! Release me right now!"_

"_Shika, what's the matter with you?!" Ino asked her childhood friend as though he was crazy while she frenetically struggled to free herself from the shadow bind she and Sasuke were caught in. "Naruto and Sakura are in danger! We have to move now!"_

"_Shikamaru's doing the right thing." Chouji resolutely interjected in his best friend's defence. "They'll be in greater danger if you head on over there with your emotions running high. Besides, we'll still be able to get there before Naruto does."_

"_We have to go about this sensibly." Shikamaru pointed out after releasing the now slightly calmed Ino and Sasuke from his jutsu and getting a show of understanding from the rest of the group. "We have to make sure nothing triggers their memory right now."_

And so they came up with the best offence and defence strategy they could come up with and moved out. At least the best they could come up with in ten minutes but three geniuses had a hand in coming up with the plan that nobody doubted its efficacy.

Of course, it would have worked had they anticipated that Sasuke would get there five minutes ahead of them with Rock Lee and Gaara no Sabaku having arrived just seconds before him. Or that Naruto would arrive unnoticed and witness Sasuke lose control at the sight of a bleeding Sakura, thus instinctively activating his latent Sharingan.

At the thought, Ino couldn't help but think of Hinata and feel sorry for her.

Among all of them, she was probably the most affected of all.

* * *

I'm so sorry! I had to cut it here. I'm really very sorry.

Please review and tell me what you would like to see next chapter and I'll try to squeeze it in.

No flames please.

Sorry again.

Thank you.


End file.
